porcupine puffer care

[missgreen]

i hope i don't get swiftly reprimanded for this one...
i work at a pet store, but am leaving that job within a couple weeks. while i was working there i bonded with a little porcupine puffer that's for sale, and i think i want to get him. i've always wanted a porcupine puffer but have shyed away from getting one because i know they can get huge, and i don't really have the room, nor the money, for a huge tank right now. however, this little guy is pretty small right now. at work, we keep him in a 30 gallon tank and he seems fine. obviously when he gets bigger he's going to need a larger tank.
i currently have a 29g tank that i can put him in. my question is, would that be wise? it's set up as a freshwater tropical tank now, with gravel, a HOT magnum filter, and a heater. i'd like to be able to just add salt and put him in there by himself. do i need crushed coral or sand? or is the gravel ok? will i need a protein skimmer just for him? or a sump?
i'm planning on getting a bigger tank when he outgrows this one...
any input would be great.
thanks,
heather

[dleary]

I would not put him in that tank unless you upgrade your filter to something a lot stronger than a magnum HOT. I mean something like a sump-type wet/dry filter and a good skimmer. Porcupine puffers create a lot of waste, and you'd need this kind of filtration to keep him healthy & happy.

I don't know what kind of substrate you currently have in the tank, but I'd recommend using crushed coral or sand. I definitely wouldn't use colored gravel made for FW tanks.

Lastly, you should commit yourself to doing water changes about every 2 weeks, and to moving him to a larger tank within about 7 months, as he will grow fast.

[hcs3]

i currently have a 29g tank that i can put him in. my question is, would that be wise?

no. if properly fed he will outgrow this tank in a matter of 6 months. from the sounds of your budget, you won't be able to purchase a larger tank by the time it's needed. larger, IMO, would mean something around 6' long, namely 125g or larger. even then, you could expect the fish to outgrow this tank.

i'd like to be able to just add salt and put him in there by himself.

unfortunitely, it's not that easy. you would need to take down your FW tank and completely clean it out. the decorative pebbles used in a sandbed for FW tanks is rather useless for SW. they can be used, but they will not help the system much, and would require regular cleanings. your best off to add a sandbed made of either CC or aragonite sand. even silcate sand fro HD would be better than using FW pebbles.

you will also need new, different filters for this tank. your heater can be used (obviously) and so could your HOT magnum (though i wouldn't use it) but you'll still need some other form of filtration, namely biological. it should either come from a good sandbed and LR, or from any numerous mechnical filters on the market.

will i need a protein skimmer just for him?

considering the amount of food you would need to add, plus the amount of waste the fish would produce, it would be a good idea.

missgreen, considering you would need to cycle this tank, your at least 4 weeks away from adding SW fish if you started today. i would recommend that you let this fish go to a home that can care for it, and prepare yourself now for one in the future. porcupines are really common in this hobby; don't think you won't find another. however, do think of how sadden you'd be when a fish you have fallen in love with dies in your care from improper setup.

HTH

henry

[Mr Nasty]

Although the porcupine will out grow your 29g, it will take a little while, for these puffers do not grow as fast as smooth skin variety. You would need to add crushed coral as this will help to keep the PH up. A skimmer is not necessary although you will need some sort of biological filtration. IT is not necessary to cycle a tank if you are able to get some biiological media that has been already cycled (sponge, bio-balls etc.) maybe you can get this media from the fish store you worked at. Remember when a person says that you need to cycle in a tank this is not true! It is the filter that you need to cycle. You can set up a tank and put a fish in it right away provided your biological media has been cycled. Stuff your mag basket with filter floss or provide some other type of mechanical filtration as well.
Have kept these puffers before and have set up tanks based on this criteria, and have had no problems.